The Youth Cultural Day, one of the events for Samoan Language Month, brought students from Samoana, Tafuna, Leone and Fagaitua High School to Utulei Beach today, to learn and get an appreciation of skills that every young Samoan should have.
The fales at Suiga Ula, in Utulei, became venues for demonstration of food preparation tattooing, fishing, carving and other skills.
Students took part in making of the umu, for example, peeling bananas, scraping taro, husking, and scraping coconuts and squeezing coconut milk to make palusami.
In one fale, a young woman was getting finishing touches on her malu, or tattoo, while students sang to give her encouragement.
There was also a demonstration on catching fish using coconut husks and displays by the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources showing what older generations used in food preparation, and other tasks like farming to take care of their families.
Students showed their excitement and enthusiasm during the demonstrations, and were willing participants when asked to join.
Tafuna High School senior, Valentino Solofa felt that the Cultural Youth Day should be continued because it gives young people some understanding of their past.
Story and Photos by Itagia Fia
